The Power of the Breath
It may or may not come as a surprise, but stress can be partially relieved with very little effort--and thank goodness, because it's probably because of how much effort we put into things that affects how stressed we are. There is something incredibly beneficial and effective towards reducing stress that can be done from the comfort and privacy of home. Anyone can ignore ''stress by watching TV, but that doesn't actually ''relieve ''stress. In order to do that, we must put our bodies into relaxation mode--and the breath is a powerful and easy way to do so. We've heard the expression, "it's as easy as breathing." That's because breathing is an instinct that comes naturally. We are born knowing how to do it and we do it constantly and without thinking. It keeps us alive. But it is also incredibly powerful in other areas, such as stress-relief. Breathing affects your whole body, and when we breathe deeply, we send "it's time to calm down and relax" signals to the brain. The brain, in turn, sends those signals to the rest of your body, and signs of stress such as rapid breathing, increased heart rates, and elevated blood pressure begin to decrease Healthwise Staff. (2018). Stress management: Breathing exercises for relaxation. Retrieved from https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uz2255. It's that simple. The goal here is to activate the relaxation response, which will change the physical and emotional responses to stress. The relaxation response is geared to decrease metabolism, decrease heartbeats and muscle tension, slow the breath, lower the blood pressure, and increase the levels of nitric oxide Marksberry, K. (2012). Take a deep breath. Retrieved from https://www.stress.org/take-a-deep-breath. But it's not about taking natural breaths, as our natural breaths are naturally shallow. Just elongating the inhale and exhale can do the trick, but there are a number of actual breathing exercises that can be done. We just need to figure out which is the right one for us. '''Deep/Belly Breathing:' It is only common sense that when we take deep breaths, we are filling the lungs with air. But deep breathing techniques go further: deep breaths can go all the way down to the stomach. Instead, we fill the belly with air instead of the lungs. To begin your deep breathing exercise, first, make yourself comfortable. Sit in a comfortable chair that supports your head, neck, and shoulders, lay in bed, or even the floor can work--just get comfortable. Next, breathe in through your nose. Slowly, deeply, as deep as you can go to where you feel your belly fill with air. Then, exhale through your nose. As you do this, put one hand on your belly and one on your chest. If it's being done correctly, your hand will rise as your belly fills with air and will fall as you exhale. If the hand on your chest is moving more than the hand on your belly--you're not breathing deeply enough. Once you find yourself breathing deeply, take three more of these deep, cleansing breaths. Even if you're not 100% stress-free, you have forced your body to slow itself down. You are, in effect, giving it a little break. "Deep" or "belly breathing" is the simplest breathing exercise, but there are others that are more difficult and can be more effective. If possible, make it a regular practice and try to do some abdominal breathing 20-30 minutes a day, which will preemptively help reduce stress and anxiety. Modified Lion's Breath WebMD. (2019). Breathing techniques for stress relief. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-relief-breathing-techniques#1: This is one of the easiest and quickest exercises. First, get comfortable and begin breathing through your nose. Fill the belly with as much air as you can, and then when you can take in no more, exhale with your mouth wide open. While you do it, make an "ahh" sound, and repeat this several times. This may feel a little silly, and perhaps it's not the best one to do in your cubicle at work, but it can be effective if you let it. Do it in a place where you feel comfortable so you don't just add more stress by being embarrassed! Roll Breathing: When done correctly, roll breathing makes your chest rise and fall like the rolling of waves, hence where it gets its name. Roll breathing can be done in any position, but while getting used to it, it's recommended to lie on your back and bend your knees. This exercise helps to develop the full use of our lungs and focus on the rhythm of our breathing. Like in deep breathing, put your left hand on your belly and your right one on your chest. Fill your lower lungs and feel your left-hand rise and your right hand remain still. When you inhale, breathe through your nose. When you exhale, breathe through your mouth for 8-10 cycles. After the 8-10 cycles, add part two: inhale first into your lower lungs and then continue inhaling into your chest. Take slow, regular breaths, and as you do so, your right hand will rise and your left hand will fall in tune with your belly. During the exhale, make a soft "whooshing" sound as first your left and then your right-hand falls, and as you exhale, you can literally feel the tension leaving your body. Try to do this for 3-5 minutes. Once you become a little more accustomed to it, you can do it anywhere as an instant relaxation tool . 4-7-8 Breathing: Another exercise to use also involves using belly breathing, and it can be done sitting or lying down. Put one hand on your stomach and one on your chest, as in deep and roll breathing. As you count to four, take in a slow, deep breath. Hold your breathe and count to 7. Then completely empty your breath as you count to 8, and by the time you reach 8 try to make sure all of the air is out of your lungs. Do this 3-7 times, or until you feel calm . Focused Breathing: As with meditation, sometimes we just need to take our mind off of something to reduce a little stress. Focused breathing is almost like self-hypnosis as it encourages you to use a picture, word, or phrase that helps to make you feel a little more relaxed. Then, close your eyes. Take a few of those deep, cleansing breaths. As you breathe in, imagine that the air is full of peace and tranquility. Really try to feel it throughout your entire body. As you exhale, imagine the air escaping is carrying your stress with it. As you breathe in, think to yourself "I breathe in peace and calm," and as you breathe out, say "I breathe out stres and tension." Try to do this for 10-20 minutes or until you feel relaxed. Progressive Muscle Relaxation : This is an exercise that can be used for reducing stress and/or falling asleep. The idea behind it is tensing muscles on the inhale and relaxing them on the exhale. As with any technique, first make yourself comfortable. Take a few deep breaths to get you in the zone, and then begin the exercise. As you breathe in, tense the muscles in your feet. As you exhale, relax the tense muscles. On the next breath, tense your calves, and on the exhale, relax them. The next inhale should be accompanied by tensing your thighs, the exhale should relax them, and so on. Work your way up the body until you've done your whole body, including your fingers, shoulders, and face. By the end of it, you should be less stressed both physically and mentally--and maybe even a little sleepy! Morning Breathing : Sometimes we're stressed the moment we wake up, and sometimes it takes a little bit. But to help relieve some stiffness and clear your breathing passages, try some morning breathing. What's even better is it can also be used throughout the day to help ease back tension. Begin standing. Bend at the waist with your knees slightly bent, and let your arms dangle loosely. As you take a slow, deep inhale, slowly roll your body up back into a standing position with your head being the last part lifted. Still standing and holding your breath, hold onto that breath for a few seconds. Then, as you exhale, slowly return to the bent position. Do this a few times or until you feel better. 'Bottom Line: ' There are a bunch of great breathing exercises, and it's amazing how something that comes so naturally to us can be manipulated into helping us with the things that come unnaturally, such as stress. Give them a try and see if they work for you. But a word of caution: some of these exercises, such as roll breathing and morning breathing can make people dizzy if they are unaccustomed to it. Try them sitting or laying down until you get more comfortable. If breathing exercises are not your cup of tea--don't force it. That can just add more stress, which is the opposite of what we're trying to do! For additional techniques and information on breathing for stress relief, visit: https://www.stress.org/take-a-deep-breath https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uz2255 https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-relief-breathing-techniques#1 https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm/ https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-reduce-stress-with-breathing-exercises-3144508